Publication systems, such as online advertiser Google, Inc. and an online marketplace eBay Inc., deploy technology to selectively publish data items (e.g., online advertisements, marketplace listings etc.). Depending on various criteria, which include relevancy, these online publishers are continually faced with the technical challenge regarding which data items from the body of data items available for publication, to select for publication. For example, considering an online advertiser, the online advertiser typically has a body of advertisements that are available for publication. One popular method of selecting which advertisements to publish is to utilize keywords, selected from content being presented to a user (e.g., a news story or content at a website) to select advertisements to present to a user, on the assumption the user is more likely to click through (or perform some other action responsive to) advertisements that are contextually relevant to content that the user is presently viewing. For example, Google, Inc. utilizes its AdSense technology to identify high-value keywords associated with content or search results that are currently being presented to a user. Various advertisements are associated with such keywords, and these advertisements are selected for presentation to a user depending on what an advertiser may have bid in order to have advertisements associated with the relevant keyword. To this end, Google has deployed a technology known as “AdWords”, which enables users to specify keywords that should trigger their advertisements, and also a maximum amount they are willing to pay “per click” (i.e., what they are willing to pay should a user click through the relevant advertisement).
Turning now to the online marketplace operated by eBay Inc., the presentation of listings within the context of the electronic marketplace is typically driven by user search criteria (e.g., a category selection, keywords, and various attribute filters etc.). eBay also has a contextual advertising tool, named eBay AdContext, which automatically scans the content of a website, and returns relevant eBay advertisement content. For example, where a website relates to sport, eBay AdContext may display advertisements for sporting good listings, or eBay search results for memorabilia related to a specific sports team. When the user clicks on the eBay advertisement, the user is lead directly to the eBay site, for example either directly to a listing, a category page, or a search result page.
Various online publishers may also offer programs whereby certain data items, presented to a user, may be highlighted or “featured” in certain way. For example, eBay Inc. offers certain promotional tools that enable users to differentiate their listings from other listings on the site. Such promotional tools may include the option to include an image of an item being sold within a virtual online image “gallery”. Other promotional tools include the ability to bold text of a listing when the listing is presented as part of search results, and also to employ highlight color bands emphasizing a particular listing within a search result. Similarly, Yahoo!, Inc., within its “local” or “Yellow Pages” section, allows business owners to sign up as “sponsored” businesses, which provides premium placement for listings of such businesses above standard business listings.